EU child sex abuse reports increase by 6000% in ten years

Jerome Hughes

Press TV, Brussels

Many believe the crime of sexually abusing a child is even more heinous than murder. The EU's executive arm, the European Commission, says 85 million child sex abuse videos and images were identified by the bloc's authorities last year, a record number.

The commission says it's not known, exactly, why these crimes are on the rise but analysts say the EU has been allowed to expand too quickly with some nations harboring criminal gangs. The EU commission is proposing to establish a new agency designed to prevent child sex abuse and support victims.

Anti-trafficking agencies say two million children recently entered the EU having fled the conflict in Ukraine, many of them unaccompanied. Gangs and individuals see an opportunity for exploitation. The European Commission has a message for predators.

But critics are asking why more has not been done up to now. Given that it promotes itself as a project designed to protect and improve the lives of citizens, rights groups say this issue seriously undermines the credibility of the European Union.

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